Statistics regarding foreign nationals residing in Seoul

Gender

As of the end of 2015, some 274,957 foreign nationals (132,607 males and 142,350 females) were living in Seoul, based on the population registered as residents, of which the number of female foreigners is 3% higher than that of male foreigners.

[Gender of foreign nationals residing in Seoul]

Age

According to the population data for resident registration in Seoul, the distribution of foreign nationals by age group is as follows: 31.9% are in their 20s or younger; 24.2% are in their 50s; 19.2% are in their 40s; and 18.9% are in their 30s.

[Age of foreign nationals residing in Seoul]

Length of Residence

A survey of 2,500 foreign nationals staying in Seoul for more than 90 days reveals that 32.2% of them stayed in Seoul for less than 24 months, 21.3% for more than 48 months, 20.8% for less than 12 months, 16.6% for less than 36 months, and 9.2% for less than 48 months.

[Length of residence of foreign nationals staying in Seoul]

Nationality

According to the population data for resident registration in Seoul, the nationality of foreign nationals residing in Seoul is as follows: 72.3% are Chinese citizens (Korean-Chinese: 54.2%, Chinese: 18.4%), 3.4% are US citizens, 3.2% are Taiwanese citizens, 3.1% are Vietnamese citizens, and 3.0% are Japanese citizens.

[Nationality of foreign nationals residing in Seoul]

Sojourn Qualifications

According to the population data for resident registration in Seoul, the status of foreign nationals’ sojourn qualification is as follows: the number of foreign nationals with a Working Visit Visa is the highest (35.0%), followed by Permanent Residence (16.6%), Student (9.3%), Marriage to Korean Citizen (7.9%), Miscellaneous (6.6%), and Visiting or Joining Family (6.4%). These figures show that Seoul, as the capital of South Korea, has high percentages of foreign nationals with permanent resident and student visas, compared to other regions.

[Sojourn qualification of foreign nationals residing in Seoul]

Residential Type

A survey of 2,500 foreign nationals staying in Seoul for more than 90 days reveals that the number who live in an apartment is the highest (24.4%), followed by multiplex housing (22.6%), detached housing (20.0%), others (17.6%), and row house /villa (15.5%).